5 glaring holes in Cowboys roster following embarrassing Atlanta loss

The Cowboys weren’t immediately blown out by the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. It wasn’t exactly death-by-a-thousand paper cuts, either. The 27-7 loss could have been avoided, and with so many injuries and absences, it would be disingenuous to proclaim the Dallas talent level is sorely lacking. After all, the team had won three games in a row entering the contest and had emerged as true contenders again.

However, in the NFL, the name of the game is being able to survive losing players; it’s a war of attrition. Either teams get ridiculously lucky and avoid injuries for most of the year, or they have capable backups that can fill in seamlessly. In 2017, Dallas has proven to have neither.

Now, there’s an obvious caveat. The players Dallas didn’t have available by the end of the Week 10 loss weren’t just any-old players. They were without guys considered among the best at their positions in the entire league. They finished the game without four Pro-Bowlers and/or All-Pro caliber players.

That’s tough for any team to overcome, especially with just one week to adjust to that reality. Two of those studs are almost certain not to return next week and the other two are big question marks.

Sunday’s performance did shine light on the Cowboys roster inadequacies though, and regardless of how the rest of the 2017 season turns out, here are five positions Dallas needs to fortify this offseason.

Left Guard

Jonathan Cooper is on just a one-year contract, and he has played well on occasions. In fact, he had turned in three outstanding performances in a row before Sunday’s debacle that saw him collect two holding penalties against the Falcons. Cooper’s strength is run blocking, but he’s nowhere a replacement for what the Cowboys were getting out of Ron Leary in 2016.

More importantly, when Cooper had to play without Tyron Smith to his left, he was a shell of what has been seen in that past. The left guard spot is not one that has to be addressed with a high-pedigree draft pick or a flashy free agent, but the Cowboys will have to do more than what they did this year, and that includes the tryout that may have ruined Chaz Green.

Wide Receiver

Dez Bryant is still a dynamic player, but his physical style and the injuries he has suffered in being a dominant force appear to have caught up to him somewhat. Terrance Williams hasn’t been able to show consistency from week-to-week and will always struggle to attack the ball in the air, limiting the trust a QB can have in him. Cole Beasley is limited to the slot and the occasional deep route when everything aligns. Brice Butler hasn’t been able to win the confidence of the coaching staff.

The Cowboys are going to have to get another wide receiver in the fold. Bryant will be entering his ninth year. It’s time to give him the Roddy White treatment and go get him a Julio Jones. With 2018 seeming like a deep draft for wideouts, now might be the time to make the investment.

Backup Tackle

The Cowboys had a competent swing tackle when they entered the offseason this year. Green acquitted himself rather well playing for Smith last season when the back first acted up. There was little chance Dallas could trust Green and his injury problems, though, so when Doug Free retired this offseason there was a choice to be made. The Cowboys may not have made the right one.

They moved La’el Collins from inside to outside, apparently coming good on a wink-wink promise made when they signed him as a UDFA. That’s what shoved Green inside to guard and it appears two positions were troubled. Collins has been decent recently but he hasn’t looked like the prospect Dallas thought it was getting in 2015.

There could be some off-season shuffling, but it appears Dallas will need to augment this line after January. They’ll need to either get a player capable of filling in for Smith as his long-term back issues have to be a concern for the team, or get a new right tackle for when they move Collins back inside to guard.

Linebacker

The Cowboys cannot survive on defense without Sean Lee. Yes, that means they need to step up at every other defensive position, because Lee is assured of missing games every year. They also need to improve the depth of the group so that the drop off isn’t as precipitous.

The Fox broadcast outlined the drastic differences between when Lee is and isn’t on the field. The opponent’s passer rating explodes and so does their run production.

Anthony Hitchens helps, but he’s a free agent in 2018. There’s no telling whether Jaylon Smith will ever recover to the point of being the prospect the Cowboys thought he could be, and they certainly can’t enter the offseason counting on that guy showing up. Dallas will likely need two players to join the fold if Hitchens goes elsewhere looking to start, and why wouldn’t he?

Boundary Corner

The Cowboys drafted three cornerbacks in 2017 and yes, it looks like they’ll need to return the the well. Down the stretch of 2016, Anthony Brown was a revelation, he was one of the best corners in the league based on yards allowed per coverage route. That guy has not returned, and he’s looked pretty lost in coverage, eyeing the quarterback and not getting burnt by middling receivers. Orlando Scandrick’s age appears to have caught up with him.

To this point, Chido Awuzie hasn’t been able to stay healthy and show what he’s capable of. Jourdan Lewis is going to need some help.

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